Cornell-Wisconsin postgame thread (post-season thread?) NCAA quarterfinals 2006

[calgARI '07]

I don't see Schafer going with both Gallagher and Romano as regulars down the middle.  I think we have seen how much Schafer relies on his 2/3 centers defensively so he'll go with experience and defensive ability there.  Fontas will probably play center.  You also left out Milo who I think is a sure-thing to play.  I would be shocked if Romano played, at least at the beginning of the year.

Greening-Bitz-Scott
Barlow-Gallagher-McCutcheon/Milo
Scali-Kennedy-Carefoot
Mugford-Fontas-Sawada
Kindret-Romano-Connors

O'Byrne-Krantz
Seminoff-Pokulok
Nash-Glover
Davenport-Krueger
Salmela

Well McCutcheon is definitely going to play because I think he'll be wearing a letter.  Appears that there will be a logjam on the right side in particular, but it should be noted that Scott has played every forward position.  Regardless, I really like the idea of having 16 forward and 9 defensemen (if nobody leaves).  I personally do not think anyone will leave.

[Trotsky]

[quote calgARI '07]
Greening-Bitz-Scott
Barlow-Gallagher-McCutcheon/Milo
Scali-Kennedy-Carefoot
Mugford-Fontas-Sawada
Kindret-Romano-Connors

O'Byrne-Krantz
Seminoff-Pokulok
Nash-Glover
Davenport-Krueger
Salmela
[/quote]

I kept looking at that thinking, that's a pretty weak fourth line.  Then I realized it was a fifth line.

They will be *very* deep everywhere.  If McKee returns, it could be an amazing season.  Assuming somebody knows how to put the biscuit in the basket.

[cth95]

Anyone know if there is an archive of the video we can access?  I taped the game while I was playing hockey myself only to have the tape end in the middle of the 3rd. I must have had it on the wrong setting. (I even put in a brand new tape in case the game went to OT!  :-/  )  I went on my computer and could only find the All Access radio feed.  That was ok, but it was driving me crazy not being able to see the plays during the late PK when Jason kept saying Save McKee, Save McKee, Save McKee!, SAVE McKEE!!!, over and over. Then, after the 1st OT, the time line kept moving, but the sound died!  :-(  :-(
     
     Anyway, I would love to be able to watch the game from the middle of the 3rd on.  If there is no archive, could someone tape it off of their TiVo or something.  If it is against the law to pay you for it I will buy you a few beers next year when I make it to Lynah, the ECAC's, or another game we both happen to get to.

    I am really proud of our guys.  What a great way to end the season after some of the earlier inconsistencies.  LGR!!!  

                                                       Chris

[Hayek]

Anyone know the link to where the eBadger forum is?

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Just got home.  My voice will arrive from Green Bay sometime later in the week.  :-P

My thoughts:

After Albany, I wasn't sure why I was going to GB.  I spent the drive up from Chicago Friday night wondering what I'd do Sunday if (when?) we didn't beat CC.  Boy was I glad I was wrong.  This was one of the greatest weekends of hockey I've experienced.  Even though we lost I feel so good about the team now.  It's amazing what some good play will do.

After Friday's game, somebody said that that was one of the best games he'd ever seen.  And it was a hell of a game.  Little did we know what Saturday had in store.  Saturday was the second best game I've ever seen - pro or college (but the '79 Providence game is still #1 and always will be),  

Wisconsin has an AMAZING forecheck.  They took advantage of our lack of skill in clearing the zone.  If we're going to be successful next year, we are going to need to improve that area (are you listening Doug? Jared?)

I'll echo that I'm proud of the guys.  They played their hearts out, and even at the end dug down and found the strength to keep Elliott hustling.  While we didn't keep heat on him consistently, we made Elliott earn the win.  Nothing to be ashamed of in this loss.  They did the school and the conference proud.

I thought the Wisconsin fans were really classy and good people.  Totally unlike the Goofer fans last year.  Many of them came over to compliment the team and the faithful (and the band, too).  As I was leaving the area, a lot of them shook my hand and said "Good game."  You'd never get that in Mariucci.  And they've already started stealing some of our cheers.  ::nut::

I'm rooting for Bucky next week, too.  They're a hell of a team.  They deserve a championship.  

Let's go Red(s)!!!!

Now it's LAX season.  I'll see everyone at Penn this Saturday.

[calgARI '07]

[quote Trotsky]

I kept looking at that thinking, that's a pretty weak fourth line.  Then I realized it was a fifth line.

They will be *very* deep everywhere.  If McKee returns, it could be an amazing season.  Assuming somebody knows how to put the biscuit in the basket.[/quote]

I don't think offense will be a problem next year.  Defense from the forwards could be early on though.

[billhoward]

[quote calgARI '07]I...  Regardless, I really like the idea of having 16 forward and 9 defensemen (if nobody leaves).  I personally do not think anyone will leave.[/quote]

You seem more optimistic now than earlier about the non-seniors sticking around.

By the way, are you (personally) able to transfer your affections to the lacrosse field for the spring term?

[DeltaOne81]

[quote cth95]Anyone know if there is an archive of the video we can access?

If there is no archive, could someone tape it off of their TiVo or something.[/quote]

My TiVo stopped recording before the game ended.

There's some replays tonight and again Thurs morning. I just set up my TiVo (remotely ) to record the Thursday morning one since I have TV plans tonight. Its scheduled for 2.5 hours, so it will be fairly edited. But they did give it half an hour more than most replays.

I also have the 2 hour replay of the CC game (due to the late start I missed the ending). Not much action, if any, was cut out. They just cut out the intermissions mostly.

I won't do anything illegal with them though. But I guess you could PM me to discuss how I won't do anything illegal

[ninian '72]

Did a quick check on the Caps message board regarding prospects.  Not that their speculation is any more informed than ours regarding where players will be next year, but there are a number of scenarios with Sasha that are tied to the Caps long-term rebuilding process.  Mgmt thinks highly of their young defense prospects, but they appear to be overstocked.  The Caps really loaded up on draft picks during the selloff before the strike and now appear to have an overabundance of young talent in the system.  The general plan appears to be to improve from a bottom 5 team this year to a bottom 10 team next season and then make a run the year after, which gives them some flexibility now in drafting for the best available player and not for positional needs. They may choose to unload some young D-men to trade up in the draft or to acquire some more experienced talent, though, if a good opportunity shows up.  (Kessel's name has surfaced a few times.) Guesses on Sasha are that he stays, moves up to Hershey, moves up after the end of the 06-07 NCAA season, or gets traded. Your pick.  A lot also depends on how D-men further up in the system pan out.  Decisions in most cases appear to be a year away, so don't expect the logjam to break up soon.

[Winnabago]

[quote RichH]...Elliott's save on Bitz in the 2nd was sick, and he just got better from there....  [/quote]

Great summary, it was what I was thinking all night as I was otherwise trying to get to sleep.

The Sun has a photo of this save running today, it's a great photo, and I'll see if I can find the original.

[Josh '99]

[quote ninian '72]Guesses on Sasha are that he stays, moves up to Hershey, moves up after the end of the 06-07 NCAA season, or gets traded. Your pick.[/quote]So basically, other than playing in the NHL next year, they've guessed pretty much every possibility?  :-P

[Rosey]

To expand on my comments from last night's late stupor:

I had to leave Sports Depot early to get to my own hockey team's second playoff game, which we unfortunately lost 2-1 off some bad positioning.  (Yes, this is the first time I've ever left a game before it ended.  Nothing but my own team would be able to do that.)  I didn't know the outcome until I got home and pulled up eLynah.  It's not the outcome I wanted to see, but from the way play had been going in the first and second overtimes, UW winning was more likely than not.

I wasn't sorry to have missed the third OT because I simply couldn't take it anymore.  Fred can probably testify that I was literally shaking at different points throughout the evening.  The pressure was simply incredible... and I wasn't even playing!  To have no release from a sudden death tournament elimination, and to have it go on that long... it was simply exhausting.  I am drained today.  I can't concentrate.

Nonetheless, the 90% of the game that I did see was incredible.  Unlike what some posters on USCHO who clearly didn't see the game said, there was no incessant neutral zone trap play going on, but rather an exciting defensive battle played in both ends and with lots of great shots on goal and lots of head-standing by both Elliott and McKee.  Boring?  Pshaw.  Hardly.

I have a meeting in three minutes, so I'll try to keep the remainder brief:

1. Congrats to UW: they beat Cornell at our own game.

2. Congrats to Cornell and to the seniors, especially: this was easily the best game you've played all year.  With very few exceptions, the game was so precisely played that it could have gone either way due to an odd bounce or slip.  The system works.

3. Nonetheless, a little more offense would have tipped the scales in our favor: there were large sections of the second and third periods in which Cornell completely dominated the flow of the game.  Someone who could have gotten us a higher-percentage shot could have ended this game in regulation.

4. I don't know if I can do this next year.  I've given so much of myself this year, that I may need all 7 months to recharge the batteries.  It's hard to understand, because I'm not actually playing; but for some reason, going through a season like this only to lose the ECAC RS and tournament, and then have the season end three wins away after a 4.5 hour game is extremely draining, even for the fans.  The next few days are going to be rough; but hopefully in 7 months we'll regroup and be even better.

I'm a little late now.  So, to sum up: LGR!

Kyle

[ninian '72]

On the nose, and don't even rule that out.

[jkahn]

[quote billhoward]Aging alumni who remember 1973: Which hurt worse[/quote]
1973, and I was at both.  Although perhaps having been through it before, you tolerate it better.

The overwhelming feeling at this one is pride.  Proud to be a Cornellian and have this group of student-athletes represent our university.  I sure would've prefered pride and exultation - but these guys played their hearts out, and you can't ask for anything more.  A guy from Colorado Springs whose daughter goes to Cornell come over and sat with us when we were down 0-2 of Friday, right before Topher's goal.  He commented that he decided to root for Cornell (though he goes to the CC home games) as he could see our team just plays like we want it more.  That's all you can ask.

[RichH]

[quote krose]
I had to leave Sports Depot early to get to something not nearly as important.[/quote]

Oh, so you're the one.  I thought I felt a drop in The Force.  Well everyone, now we know:  It's Kyle's fault.  Let's all go over and beat him up.  ;-)

3. Nonetheless, a little more offense would have tipped the scales in our favor: there were large sections of the second and third periods in which Cornell completely dominated the flow of the game.  Someone who could have gotten us a higher-percentage shot could have ended this game in regulation.

There were points you could tell we were pushing to end it.  There was that great feed to Moulson on the doorstep.  And I think it was Cam who had the shot that actually beat Elliott, hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced off to the side instead of down and in.  The live camera angle made it look like it had snapped in and out of the top corner, but the replay showed it getting just enough crossbar to stay out.

Win or lose....that's just so draining.  I think there have been 5 games since 2002 that have significantly shortened my life.  I never know how my heart can physically do the things it does during games like that.  Also, why does my back tighten up so much when I'm not doing anything with it?  The final TV shot of the BC-CU Regional Final from Providence in '03 is me basically collapsing from exhaustion/elation/adrenaline drain.